


The Downfall

by AstroCactus



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Moira Spearheads A Witch Hunt, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Background Relationships, Cellular Alteration, Conditioning, F/F, Family Drama, Family Secrets, Fluff and Angst, Genetics, Implied Fareeha "Pharah" Amari/Angela "Mercy" Ziegler, Mercenaries, Mild Language, Moira Is A Horrible Person, My First Work in This Fandom, Origin Story, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Part 1 Is Kat's Origin Story, Part 2 Is Everything Else, Pre-Talon, Ruinous Science, Temporary Character Death, minor widowtracer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-09
Updated: 2018-04-22
Packaged: 2019-03-27 10:33:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13879026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AstroCactus/pseuds/AstroCactus
Summary: Chapter 1.Kat returns for her 2nd term of college down in Dorado. It's move-in day, and her new roommate piques her interest. An old friend also briefly shows up.





	1. Term Start

**Author's Note:**

> The Downfall is an original fanfiction of mine, centered around my OC, Kat O'Deorain. Kat is Moira's niece, set out on a personal mission of revenge after the terrible events that transpired 6 years ago in Dorado. Part 1 will focus on those events in particular. Forgive me if the timelines seem off, this work is Alternate Universe as well.
> 
> There will be multiple chapters, updated as timely as possible. This is my first time posting a major story of mine online, and it's very near and dear to my heart. Any positive criticism you have would be greatly appreciated for future chapters! 
> 
> -A.W.V.

# The Downfall

## 

Part 1

### 

Kat O'Deorain was a brilliant student. _Definitely_ unmotivated, but damn brilliant. On the outskirts of Dorado, Mexico, the small college became a second home to the Irish-American orphan from Michigan. Since she had no other family that she knew of, Kat had decided that picking up classes to keep herself out of trouble was as good an idea as anything else. In addition to classes, she'd tried out for the soccer team, and no surprise, made the cut. She was pretty tall for her age, standing at 5'10".

Despite her intellect, her rather slender figure, dark blonde hair, and aquamarine eyes had made her the butt of many 'stereotypical blonde' jokes around campus.

She came from a middle class home, raised by loving parents, taught values like the importance of family, truth, and to never doubt herself. After the Omnic Crisis took both of her parents, Isla and Conner, Kat was left to believe she had no other family. That was, in fact, a gigantic lie. Her mother was only trying to protect her, despite her father's protests.

Kat's last living relative, on her mother's side, was genetics pioneer Moira O'Deorain. Of all the names she'd learned from her mother over the years, never that one. And for good reason, too. Isla knew Kat could be too trusting, too kind to people, and that would one day be her downfall. And as much as Conner loved his daughter, he wasn't there to protect her from what was to happen in the coming months.

It was easy for Kat to pick up a research paper and pick out the obvious flaws, but not as easy to make friends.

People had been both kind and unkind to her between the time Isla and Conner died, and the time she sent herself to college. Part of being orphaned at 6 years old meant there was more ample time to figure out how the world worked, the hard way. Whether it was being kicked from orphanage to orphanage, state by state until she was 10, or turning Omnic scrap in for pocket change, there were no shortcuts.

Now at 18, and in her 2nd term of college, Kat was mildly, yet comfortably set in a small dorm room on a campus in Dorado, Mexico.

\----------------------------------------------------------

It was move-in day for the new term. Kat had arrived early, hoping her roommate hadn't beaten her there and stolen the bed by the wall. She brought everything she needed: clothes/laundry stuff, school supplies, TV & gaming console, and too many games to play. She left everything in the car, stopping by the dormitory office first to pick up her room key and school badge.

 _"Okay, I hope I'm the first one there..."_ , the Irish-American thought out loud, walking into the tiny office.

"Yo! Welcome back, Kat! Ready for the next term?", a surprisingly pleasant boy about Kat's age chirped. 

The blonde snorted in sarcasm. "Yeah, no. Not _even_ looking forward to it. And you?". 

He rolled his eyes. "No wonder you think your teachers hate you! You need to be more positive!". 

Sighing in disagreement, Kat retorted _"THANK YOU."_.

He held out her badge and key, grinning like a jerk, "Room A11, here's your stuff. Have fun." 

Kat mocked his stupid grin and took her belongings, stuffing them in her pants pocket, and heading back out.

Outside, the parking lot was filling up with familiar faces returning for the new term. It didn't Kat long to reach her car, when someone suddenly started yelling after her.

"Goddamnit, I just got back. Please don't come over here, please don't come over here, **please** don't come over here...", the Irish-American griped. She _really_ didn't want to deal with people until she was done unpacking. Not like people were bad or anything, they just seemed to come about at the WORST times. They couldn't always be avoided though, that was just something Kat wished would happen.

"Well, look who decided to stay in school. How was break?"; the voice belonged to Theo Cressman, one of the few friends Kat had at school. Theo was an Englishman, and that was all she knew about his home.

At school he was especially studious, and more of a conscience than a bad influence. He and Kat became acquainted through the school soccer team - Theo showed up to the games for moral support, and Kat was a school-favorite player. Eventually she went from tolerating to befriending him, through the Theoretical Biotics class they both took.

"Eh, alright I guess. I went back to the Mitten for a couple of weeks, then stopped down south for Mardi Gras before school started back up." Kat sighed, eyes glazing over as if lost in thought.

"The Mitten? I've never heard of it.". Theo looked thoroughly lost.

"Yeah, the Mitten. It's uh, a nickname we have in Michigan for our state. Y'know, because it looks like a glove...?" She raised her hand, pointing to her palm as if to give an example, voice trailing off.

 _"OHH_ , I see it now. That's kind of a pun in itself. Rather witty, I never would have thought of that!", Theo replied. Kat's eyes widened, nodding her head at her friend in sarcastic agreement.

" _Anyway_ , how was your break, Theo?"

He frowned before answering. "Oh, uneventful. Spent some time in the countryside with my parents, then watched some old games at home before I left." 

The Irish-American sneered. " _DEFINITELY_ Manchester, right?" 

Theo's eyes lit up. "Manchester? Manchester?! Sod off with that inferior composition! They couldn't land a corner kick to save their arses! Everyone knows Liverpool was the hands-down favorite that year!"

Kat burst out in boisterous laughter, obviously entertained. " _DAMN_ , Theo!! I was fuckin' joking!!" The laughter went on for probably several minutes, the first three in which Theo walked off grumbling about 'what a joke that was' and 'I'll get you back for that shit'. 

After being content having riled up Theo for no reason other than for shits and giggles, Kat pulled her suitcases out of the back of the car. She stacked them as high as possible, so she didn't need to make a second trip. Slamming the trunk door closed, the returnee picked up her stacked suitcases, making her way back to the campus. The ramp up to the doors was clear, thankfully, and when she reached the top, Kat nudged the electronic door panel with her elbow to get in. The hard part was over.

\-----------------------------------------------------------

It was a short walk to the dorm room, since it was situated on the same floor as the cafeteria and elevators.

Not a moment too soon after Kat arrived down the hall, had she dropped her things by the door to grab her key. Embarrassingly enough, it was already unlocked. Perhaps Hall Senate had been through earlier to inspect it. With a huff, Kat pushed the door open, rolling her eyes and retrieving her things as she began to move back in for the term. 

\---------------------------------------------------------

The room was just as she remembered; white concrete walls, bare basic mattresses, desks, drawers and shelves for both occupants. It had a certain comfort to it. It could be set up any way she wanted it to be as long as it was kept tidy, according to school rules. Again, she dropped her suitcases on the floor, this time in the middle of the room to unpack.

_'It's good to be back home. I wonder who I'm rooming with this term?'_ The thought first crossed the blonde's mind, sitting down on the uncovered mattress.

"It's more empty than I remember, hehe. Damn, it's chilly. Did they not fix the heat over break?"

"So I'm NOT the only one that's freezing?", a voice chirped from the doorway. It was almost sarcastic in tone.

"Huh?" Kat was caught off-guard, looking up. There was a girl standing in the doorway; she was Mexican, perhaps local. Appearing a few inches shorter than Kat, she had perfectly bronzed skin and startling amethyst eyes. Long, dark hair was woven into a neat braid, resting on her shoulder. There was a smirk on her face, and her arms were crossed as she leaned against the doorframe.

" _Relax_ , I'm kidding. You must be Kat." Her voice was light-hearted, and it warmed the blonde on the inside.

"And you must be my roommate." Kat piped up, her interest now held by the girl standing in the doorway.

"Colomar...Olivia Colomar. Shouldn't be too hard to remember, huh?"

Kat giggled, scratching her head. _GOD DAMN_ , Olivia was attractive. She wouldn't publicly admit it unless badgered, but she did bat for the other team. A part of the Irish-American wanted to say something witty in response, but suddenly found herself at a loss for words.

"Not a talker? Alright then." The Mexican rolled her eyes, unimpressed by Kat's lack of speech. But _how_ could Kat say anything with how stunned she was? They must have stared each other down for several moments before she'd forced out, "Uh, you can bring your stuff in."

"So NOW you speak?"

Kat turned a light pink as Olivia snipped at her again, from the doorway.

_'Great, first day back to college and I'm already embarrassing myself in front of my super attractive roommate. Good going, asswipe.'_ Kat internally scolded herself, hoping what she could manage next wasn't any dumber.

"Heh sorry, I kinda spaced out. You, uh...had me speechless for a moment there. Not trying to be weird or anything...you know you can come into the room, right?"

Shaking her head, the Mexican giggled. Kat nearly shit herself, it was so adorable. Damn that laugh.

"Sure do, _gato_. Also, I know you just hit on me. I don't mind, I'm used to it."

A small squeak slipped from the blonde's throat. Now if she could just bring herself to not be such a gay mess, that'd be great. _'Just ask her if she needs help with her stuff, act normal. Be cool, Kat. Totally cool about it.'_

"Well, then.... do you need any help bringing your things in? You've just been standing there, and I've been completely ignoring you." Her voice was shaky, but collected.

"Sure, why not? There's a computer monitor and duffel bag you could grab. I'll get the rest." Olivia looked out the door towards the ground.

With a grin on her face, Kat jumped off the bed, completely ignoring her own things in favor of helping out her new roommate.


	2. First Things First

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the first day back to classes, and trouble is already brewing. A threat is made, and there is mention of a trial.
> 
> OR
> 
> Kat is an ornery little shit.

### 

They awoke to the annoying sound of Kat's phone alarm - a cheesy rotary telephone tone, but very effective. It was set for 6 AM, which meant it was time to wake the hell up and get ready for class.

It had taken _forever_ to get all of their things unpacked and set up, and even after that they stayed up all night talking.

" _Ay Dios mio_!!", Olivia mumbled as she flipped over. Six in the morning was too damn early for that much noise. Today was the first day back to classes, and neither of them were eager to get out of bed.

"Hmmmm...that's the alarm already?"

A groggy Kat cleared her throat, obviously unaware of how annoying it must have been to her roommate.

" _Sí perra_ , now turn it off!"

Yeesh, _someone_ was angry. But understandably, and not wanting to muck up the morning any further, Kat turned over, reaching towards the phone on top of the small refrigerator next to her bed. She fumbled a bit since it was still dark, but luckily grabbed it in time to hit the small snooze button on the screen before she got scolded again. There, done.

"Hap...happy now?"

The blonde didn't hear any more responses from the other side of the room.

"Dunno about you, but _I'm_ gonna get ready for class. One of us has to be on time."

Kat groaned as she threw the covers off and dragged her ass out of bed.

\--------------------------------------------------

The first class of the day was Theoretical Biotics.

Something Kat found particularly time-killing, it was a class she had at least one friend in, and she could sit in the back so the douchebags in the front couldn't pick on her. Again.

By now it was approximately 7:38 AM, and class was well under way into the day's lesson. The instructor was droning on at the front of the room about some scientific property or other; it wasn't like Kat didn't already know what it was. She sat in a daze at the blacktop desk, staring off at a wall or something, when the asshat at the desk next to her started laughing.

_"Psst. Hey orphan, how's life all alone?_

He must have been at least a foot taller than Kat. She didn't mind height though, it was the sheer nerve that bugged her.

"Better than being stuck with you. I doubt _anyone_ would find that fun."

The Irish-American was **not** having it. Sure, Kat had no other family (at least that she knew of), and sure, it bugged her when people teased her for being forever alone, but she wouldn't have minded if they could have waited an hour or two more to start picking at her. Too bad she couldn't stop everyone from being downright douchebags.

_"Pfft, little bitch..."_

"Huh? I didn't catch that. You just call me a little bitch?"

She _swore_ she'd heard him say it. That dude just called her a name? _Oh, no._ This guy was about to get it.

_"Yeah, I did. So what?"_

"So I'm gonna knock your fuckin' teeth out, that's what!"

The entire class must have heard, because they let out a collective " _Oooooohhh_ ". And it didn't take the instructor too long to catch on, either. He'd looked up just in time to see Kat and the unnamed bully still spitting back and forth at each other.

_"O'Deorain! What's going on back there?!"_

The instructor sounded miffed, obviously for having his class interrupted.

"This dick started picking at me for no reason!"

Kat pointed an accusatory finger. She felt herself getting only the _slightest_ bit angry. It wasn't enough that she had to sit through half an hour's worth of material she already knew, but now her classmate was acting like a total jerk.

The boy proceeded to look at the instructor, shaking his head and trying to look 101% innocent.

_"No way, man! I was doing my work over here, and she started calling **me** names first!"_

Predictable. The instructor looked at him, then back at Kat before walking over to the door.

__

_"I don't care who started it. I'm not gonna have you disrupting my class with your petty arguments. Now come on, you're both out for the day. Watch the language, or next time it's detention for a week."_

Both students groaned, collecting their things and following the instructor out of the classroom.

_"Watch your back, orphan."_

The Irish-American just _barely_ heard what he'd said before they'd approached the superintendent's office.

\------------------------------------------------

The superintendent was the campus fear factor. She was short, tempermental, and hated anything that didn't fit in with her perfect "idea" of what education should be.

Kat had only heard stories from kids who had (extraordinarily) yet fortunately come back without an expulsion notice. They were enough to strike the fear of learning into any decent soul, and that was good enough reason for her. Unluckily enough, today was her day to step into the ring.

The office was small, with the typical setup - file cabinet, desk, computer, 3 chairs. There was also a severely dehydrated plant of some sort sitting in the corner, but the blonde didn't dare try and figure out what it was. It was kind of drafty, strange for it being situated right in the middle of the building. Why would the superintendent have such a small office? Why was it so chilly? And where exactly _was_ she? Kat's mind wandered for a few moments, before hearing the door latch open behind her.

_"Kat O'Deorain. This is the first time you've been in my office. But not the first you've been in trouble, correct?"_ , the voice was loud, and commanding of all attention.

"Uh, yes ma'am. I mean, mostly for being late to class, but there was that one time...."

Kat spat the words out faster than she could mentally process them. She was _scared_. By "that one time", she meant the incident in first term where she smoked out the entire hall by setting microwave macaroni on fire, after forgetting to put the water in. It was a Thursday afternoon, and the Fire  & Safety office had to evacuate everyone on the floor while the smoke dissipated. Theo relentlessly teased her about it for the remainder of the term afterwards. She still remembered it like it was yesterday.

__

_"The macaroni incident? Yes, that made its way around school rather quickly. Thank goodness it was only burnt pasta. But that's not why you're here today. Today, as your instructor tells it, you and another student got into a bit of an argument?"_

HA. 'Argument' was the sugar-coated word for it. Not that the blonde ever cared to revisit shit like that. The superintendent walked around the side of the desk, taking a seat. She stared Kat down, trying to pry an answer out of her.

"Um, yeah. He asked me how I liked being alone all the time, and I said it's better than being stuck with him. And then he called me a little bitch."

__

_".....That's it? No yelling, no throwing books at each other? Just a little light name-calling?"_

The Irish-American nodded. It wasn't like that was a lie or anything......just a shorter version of the truth.

__

_"Well I see no reason to suspend you, though I DO think you should find something more productive to do if you aren't satisfied with class. Say.......there's a prominent scientist from Oasis coming to our school within the next couple months or so. They're starting some sort of experimental trial, and we've allowed them to use the old Pharmacy Tech wing. You should sign up, Kat. It would get you out of class for a couple of hours every week, and count as an extracurricular credit."_

Experimental......trial? That didn't sound shady at all. But _wait_ , wasn't Oasis one of the most prestigious scientific institutions on the planet? They did all _sorts_ of things there. It might be interesting to get in on this 'trial' thing.

"Can I think about it? I mean, it sounds ambitious. And also, isn't practically everyone gonna want to get in on this?". There was a hint of wariness in Kat's voice.

The superintendent shook her head, pointing to the window.

__

_"The way I hear it, they're only taking 1 student for the whole trial. They want at least 10 possible candidates, but only 1 will actually make it in. I'm hanging the sign-up sheet outside my office tomorrow afternoon. Don't think on it too long."_

The superintendent waved towards the door, as if to tell the prospective candidate to leave. Taking it as a sign of good faith, Kat stood up, thanked her for her time, and left the tiny office. What a strange turnaround. It had definitely gone better than she'd expected.

\--------------------------------------------

Having the rest of the day off after being booted from class, Kat decided to go back to her dorm room to take a nap. Lazy? Check. Irresponsible? Probably.

She decided against taking the stairs since they ran right past the Auto Shop class, and she didn't want people to think she was skipping. Since the superintendent's office was a level below the dorm halls, the closest elevator would be through the Canteen.

A large, open common room, the Canteen had multiple large TVs, pool tables, and a student store. It would be deserted this time of day (aside from the Custodial kids), and Kat wouldn't be a suspect on the way back to her room. She made her way across the room, a stray thought crossing her mind.

'What if I tell Liv I like her? Wait, no, it's too soon to tell. But what if I wait too long? Or what if she doesn't even swing that way?? Hold on, where did "Liv" come from? UGH I'M THE WORST AT THIS.'

By the time she'd finished hounding herself for being the cheesiest form of gay, Kat had reached the elevator, ready to make her way to her room. She pushed the 'Down' arrow, and patiently waited. The Canteen hallway was quiet, and the Irish-American could hear the sound of elevator cables whooshing as the car came down. It wasn't anything special, but she did, for one reason or another, find it unique.

_*DING*_

The door slid back, and Kat entered the small elevator. Pressing the number 1 button, the door closed again, and she waited in about a minute and a half of dead silence, before arriving on her floor. Exiting the elevator, she stepped out into the hallway of the dorm floor.

"Now what was I gonna do........?" Oh! I remember!"

"Remember what, _gato_?"

Kat jumped. Olivia had suddenly popped up behind her, but where did she come from?

"God....damn! You scared me! Wait, what are you doing up here? I thought your class was on the other side of the building?"

The Mexican snickered.

"I may or may not have been kicked from class."

"For what?"

Kat rolled her eyes. This _would_ happen to both of them on the  exact same day. Oh-fucking-well.

"For hacking the teacher's emails. Aaand showing them to the class."

They looked each other for a few moments with as straight a face as either of them could muster, before bursting out in a fit of tear-filled laughter.

"That's savage, Liv."

_So much for that nap._


	3. Prospects

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter -
> 
> There is an argument, avoidance, and an apology. 
> 
> Also gratuitous use of the nickname "gato".

### 

"Ay, _gato_! Did you hear about the drug trial that's coming to campus?"

Olivia stared at the blonde from the other side of the room, wondering if she heard her. Kat sat on her bed, legs crossed, engrossed in some handheld game.

"Hello, Earth to Kat! _Dios mio_ , sometimes I think you ignore me on purpose..."

Going unanswered, she grabbed a pencil off the top of the refrigerator, chucking it at the Irish-American's head.

"Ahh what the fuck?! Did you just hurl a pencil at me?", she snipped in frustration. Kat looked up from her game, rubbing her scalp. The look on her face was halfway between sour and inconvenienced. _Ooooh_ , how she wanted to punch Olivia for that. The Mexican snickered, sticking her tongue out.

"You didn't answer me, so I had to get your attention another way!"

Damn, she was adorable and annoying at the same time. Kat almost wanted to jump on her, but she was _really_ trying not to be the awkward, gay mess she knew she could be sometimes.

"Oh, boo. So I wasn't paying attention to you for 5 whole seconds. What did you say?"

"I'm not repeating myself, _perra_. You should have paid attention the first time!"

Kat playfully frowned. If she was gonna be that way, _fine_.

"Wha--come on!"

Olivia raised an eyebrow, interested in the sudden change of tone; her roommate genuinely sounded upset.

"Then listen when I'm talking to you."

Kat groaned, looking defeated. "Okay, okay.....sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention. What did you say?"

"Hmph! You really wanna know, _gato_?"

Eyebrows furrowed and scowl forming, the blonde's patience was (strangely) wearing thin.

"Yes, please! WHAT is it?!"

Propping herself up on her elbows, the older girl scoffed. She hated repeating herself.

"I said ' _did you hear about the drug trial coming to campus?'_ "

Kat's eyes widened. She knew _exactly_ what her friend was talking about. And it didn't help much that she'd signed up without telling her first. Only a week had passed since they'd come back to school, but they were practically inseparable when they weren't in class.

"Oh-uh, yeah. The superintendent brought it up when I was in her office a couple days ago. I, erm, signed up this morning."

Confusion inched across Olivia's face, amethyst eyes darting back and forth. She found herself stuck somewhere between furious and despaired. When did Kat decide to do this without letting her know?

"And when were you gonna tell me? I-I mean, not that I'm gonna stop you, but what, were you gonna lie about it?"

"Okay, let's not blow this out of propor---"

The older girl scoffed.

" _Blow it out of proportion_? You don't even know what they're going to do to you!"

 _'You don't need to be a queen about it...'_. The odd-end quip had suddenly popped into Kat's head. Obviously there was no stopping her roommate from throwing a tantrum over something this ~~un~~ important.

"You know what? FINE. Yeah, I didn't tell you, but what was I supposed to do? Prance around spouting that I volunteered to be a lab rat?! Or did I need to give you a permission slip to sign? Christ, Olivia!"

The frustration in the Irish-American's voice was astounding. Maybe she should have told her. But would it have made a difference?

That was _not_ how she was hoping the conversation would turn out.

Her head dropped, shaking back in forth in anguish. Part of her wanted to suck up and apologize, but why should she? She didn't know it, but eventually everyone close to her would wind up hurt by this "trial". 

"I think maybe I should leave for now."

\---------------------------------------------------------

The weather outside was _iffy_.

Kat hadn't even been outside 10 whole minutes before the wind started to pick up, clouds blotting out the sun. Today sucked royal ass, and it seemed as if the weather was reminding her of how much of a dick she could be sometimes. Her hands were shoved in her pants pockets, head down as she dragged her feet across the sidewalk.

_"Fuckin' stupid....why does it matter? Why should I have to explain myself to you? It's not like you're gonna be there anyway. And that's if I even get in....."_

She was pretty sure she was alone as she muttered to herself; it wasn't exactly optimal frolicking weather. Part of the 18 year-old felt guilty for blowing up at her roommate, but part of her also _really didn't_ , because signing her basic human rights away to science was her choice.

The one good thing about being outside in shitty weather was that it gave her more time alone with her thoughts. Not too hot, not too cold, and always something on the border of dangerous. The temperature had cooled down a bit since Kat had been out, and she was starting to appreciate it more - maybe it would help calm her temper.

_'I mean, I don't know.... do I apologize for being a complete dick? Or do I just move on? I didn't think it was gonna bother her that much. The last thing I wanted...was to make Liv upset.'_

The younger girl rubbed her eyes, feeling her stomach churn. It was one thing if she'd **intentionally** pissed off one of her friends, but knowing that someone important to her was hurt because of something she wouldn't talk about? She loathed herself, and it stung something awful.

"Hey!"

Startled, Kat jumped at the voice. She whipped around, looking to see who else would rationally be outside in this weather. Seeing nothing, she shook her head, and continued on her way.

"Kat! I _know_ you can hear me!"

The blonde rolled her eyes, looking around again. _Oh._ How she'd missed him before was confusing. It was just Theo, jogging up the sidewalk, looking as chipper (and stylish) as usual.

"Oh, hey Theo. Was that you yelling just now?"

The Englishman nodded, coming to a stop and catching his breath.

"Yeah, that was me. Why didn't you respond? Oh, dear...you look...rough."

He wasn't wrong. Kat looked worse for wear.

"I--we--I mean Olivia and I, had a bit of an argument. I didn't tell her I signed up for that trial thing and she went off on me. And yeah, I kinda lost _my_ temper too, so I just left."

She sounded hesitant. Theo could hear a twinge of regret in her voice - not that he couldn't already tell from the look on her face.

"And you haven't spoken since, I take it? Seems like a dreadfully long time to avoid apologizing, if you know what I mean."

Kat couldn't even look him in the eyes. Just thinking about going back made her anxious. What did she have to apologize for? But while she and Theo were talking, neither of them noticed the skies had started to clear up. Perhaps that was a good thing.

"What do I say, though?"

"Just be honest with her, Kat."

\----------------------------------------------------------------

Back in the dorms, Olivia found herself sitting alone with nothing but deafening silence. She was still in disbelief, uncertain of the conversation to come when Kat returned. _If_ she returned. It had been well over an hour now, and even though her roommate had just been outside brooding, worry was starting to set in.

She sat, fixated on a stray thought:

_'I probably shouldn't have snapped at Kat like that. I mean, I know it's not really my business, but..."drug trial"? That's not the sort of thing you just drop on a college. It doesn't feel right. She just....she's cool, you know? Different...from everyone else. I kind of like her.'_

No sooner had she finished her thought, than a knock came at the door.

" _¿Oh? ¿Quién es?_ "

The Mexican leaned over, nearly falling off the bed. The part of her that wasn't apprehensive of the situation was just hoping her friend had come back in a better mood. She took a deep breath, waiting for a reply. And for a moment she almost didn't hear it.

"It's me."

It almost came out as a squeak, the voice was so faint.

Forcing herself to get off the bed, Olivia sulked over towards the door, eyes lit with concern. Oooh, she was not looking forward to this. For a brief moment, she backed up against the door, eyelids shut, trying to collect herself. When she'd felt somewhat better, she turned around, opening the door to find a rather guilty-looking Kat standing outside.

"Uh....hi."

The Irish-American pulled off a small smile.

_"¿Qué onda?"_

"So, I was a douche earlier. And I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. I didn't know it would upset you, because I didn't think it was such a big deal. I'm sorry."

Something about seeing her roommate in such an emotional state gave Olivia the chills. In the good way, though. She smirked, replying in earnest,

" _Gato_ , I know it wasn't really my place to pry. I just got worried. It's only been a week since we've been here, and already something doesn't feel right. I just don't want anything bad to happen to you."

The smile on Kat's face widened, slightly.

"Wow. I, uh, didn't realize you cared that much. Heh, first week into college and we're already fighting like a married couple. Look at us."

For a moment Olivia didn't respond, perhaps she missed the joke. But then, following a small chuckle, all seemed to be okay as she shrugged, looking up at the taller girl standing in the doorway.

" _Si, gato._ That wasn't the best way to handle that conversation. Get in here, this is  your room too. "

Nodding for her to come in, Olivia grabbed Kat's hand, tugging her into their shared dormitory. The latter gasped, surprised by the gesture. What a day. She did have one question though -

"I'm just curious....why do you keep calling me " _gato_ "?"

The older girl laughed,

"It's stupid, but........ _gato_ means "cat", and cat with a 'C' sounds exactly like Kat, with a 'K'. So you're ' _gato_ '. I know it's childish, but it's funny to me."

Well, she was right about one thing - it was funny. Olivia glanced back at Kat, hoping her smile would brighten just a little bit more before the day was over. Maybe today wasn't so terrible after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is so late! I'm not abandoning this fic, I'm just lazy as f*ck. Pardon my sloppy Spanish. The missing weekdays here are probably just Kat & Liv doing competitive tag around campus. #slowestwriteraward


End file.
